Maseru_ Chairperson of the Law and Public Safety Cluster Mr. Mothofela Ramakatsa says the Central Prison Facility is overcrowded with inmates, lacking food and clothing.

The Law and Public Safety Cluster members had a meeting with the Facility’s management at the Central Prison’s premises on Wednesday.

Chairperson of the Cluster Mr. Ramakatsa told the Agency on Wednesday that they first had a briefing from the Central Prison’s management where they were told that the budget for the facility has been declining lately despite the number of inmates ever increasing.

He said this on its own poses a serious challenge on shortage of food, clothing and space for accommodating the new inmates.

Mr. Ramakatsa noted that the management of the facility also expressed the need to have their own farming equipment like tractors and sewing machines in order to produce their own food and clothing as they have the necessary skills.

‘’Despite inmates coming to the facility every day, every week and every month, the ever declining budget is a major concern as it affects food security and clothing’’ he stressed.

The Law and Public Safety Chairperson said even the buildings of the facility look dilapidated on the walls and even the carpets are old which pose a serious health problem to the inmates.

Another member of the Law and Public Safety Mrs. Masetota Leshota said they have resolved to visit the female prison where they will bring along sanitary towels and other necessities to the female inmates.

She believed that it could be a shame for the female parliamentarians if they could go to the female prison empty handed.

‘’The situation we found at the Central Prison taught us that it could even be worse in the female prison since women have special needs like the sanitary towels’’ she highlighted.

The Law and Public Safety was following up on the budget allocated to the facility for its role of an oversight and to also see how the cluster could influence the increased budget allocation to the facility in future.